Florence woman recovers from bulldogs’ attack
FLORENCE — A Florence woman is recovering after being attacked by two bulldogs Monday morning.
Family members said the attack happened as the woman, 56-year-old Linda Jones, was walking her dog near her home on National Cemetery Road. The two bulldogs living next door were outside in an enclosure, but dug under the fence to escape and began attacking her.
Jones’ brother heard her screaming, came outside with a shovel and pickax, and fought the dogs off of her. The bulldogs bit her in the arm and back and scratched her face.
“Just because you see them and they’re calm every day doesn’t mean they’re gonna be,” her son, Frank Jones, said of the neighbor’s dogs. “All it takes is one time. My mother almost lost her life today.”
Linda Jones received stitches for the wounds to her arms and is back home awaiting rabies test results.
The case is being handled by Florence County Environmental Services, which cited the bulldogs’ owners for having animals running at large. The Florence County Sheriff’s Office also responded to the scene.
The owners surrendered the dogs to Florence County, so the dogs will be euthanized after a 10-day observation period in quarantine.
This is the second dog attack reported in Florence County, and the third reported in the Pee Dee, this year.
A Darlington County family said a friend’s yellow Labrador retriever bit off part of their 7-year-old daughter’s ear during an attack in January.
Also in January, Bentley Collins of Dillon, who was charged in connection with the death of a 10-year-old boy who was mauled by his mixed-breed dogs, was sentenced to five years in prison after a jury found him guilty of involuntary manslaughter and three counts of keeping unconfined dangerous animals.
A Scranton resident has asked town leaders to consider a ban on pit bulls after several complaints about her neighbor’s dogs, which are kept in a fenced-in area. Those who support her request pointed to a case this year in Lake City where one person was injured in a pit bull attack.
During Florence County Council’s meeting Thursday morning, students from Southside Middle School in Florence will be presenting arguments against breed-specific legislation, such as the kind Dillon City Council enacted in May. Dillon City Council’s ordinance defines a pit bull as a dangerous animal and requires stricter guidelines for pit bull owners.
Nearly a year ago, a 6-year-old girl was attacked by a pit bull while she was playing with friends in a yard marked with “no trespassing” signs along National Cemetery Road in Florence County. The dog’s owner wasn’t cited.
Experts say if a dog has any aggressive traits, it’s best to talk with a veterinarian and develop a plan for modifying the pet’s behavior. They say dogs also should be kept out of situations that could trigger their aggressive tendencies.
— Morning News Staff Writer Jamie Durant contributed to this report.
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Reader Reactions
Nogoflo, I agree with you completely. If I were you, I’d call city/county officials/animal control on your neighbor. You can do so anonymously. That’s just terrible.
Many people don’t raise their dogs the right way. How many dogs do you see dying of heat or freezing outside. I have a neighbor who ties a poor dog up to a pitiful dog house and whenever it rains the area floods - and the dog has to stand up all day and night not to drown. I have gone over and let the dog loose. It’s just the way people treat their animals in this area- Day after day animal control gets calls of dogs being starved to death or mistreated. forget about a trip to the Vet. I’m pointing my finger at those who shouldn’t be animal owners - you should be ashamed and charged with a crime. If you don’t want to be responsible - dont have dog. This poor woman paid the consequences for a lousy pet owner. They should face jail time. Pet owners should be 100 percent accountable for their animals.
Blame the owners, not the dogs. They are just like children. You have to raise them right. Of all the dogs we have our pit is the sweetest and most loving one. She’s loud but she’s not agressive. Towards people or other dogs. It’s sad that they get blamed for the way they were trained.
I feel bad for the woman attacked,but it’s not the dogs fault it’s the owners.I think the owners should be held responsible.But as far as BSL (BULL SH*T LEGISLATION) I think if your going to ban one breed you should have to ban them all.The most dangerous dogs are never mentioned when this subject is brought up(JUST THE BREEDS THAT LOOK MEAN).BAN STUPID PEOPLE NOT DOGS.-NATHAN-
I am soryy for this families misfortune. But, not all of these dogs are bad. People are hating on these dogs real bad lately. My neighbor is the one asking for the ban of all pitbull type dogs. They never think to ask “How are these dogs being treated” or “Taken care of”. I can only ansewer for my sons dogs. He loves and cares for these dogs deeply!! And, would never want to see them harmed in anyway. We had considered selling our dogs, but everyone that came by to see them talked about fighting them. We will keep them first. We will just have to deal with the neighbors because we will not see them harmed in anyway, shape or form. We take very good care of our dogs and wish the neighbors would just give it a rest. On april 2nd at the county complex there is to be a council meeting on the ban of pitbull type dogs. We will be there to stand up for all dogs. Not just the breed that has the bad rep. All dogs!! Lately the labs have been attacking people, but why not ban them too? We have (3) labs that roam the neighborhood. No one has called enviromental services, chief of police or even the sheriff about these dogs. Only ours. We have to keep our dogs on chains and in pens because our neighbors are threatened by them. But, they aren’t to scared to throw fireworks, spray them with a waterhose or even lean over the fence to get a good picture of them. But, we seem to be the bad guys in this story. The fact is we love the dogs and intend on doing whatever it takes to keep them. Enviromental services can fine us for other peoples dogs and tell us they wish they could put them (bulldogs) in a big hole and bury them. They need to be charging him for animal cruelty!! He (enviro services) always has a negative commit about our dogs. He needs to do his job and get the labs off the street that are free to roam. And, leave our dogs alone!!!. But, its alot easier for him to sit at my neighbors for (2) hours and wait on me to leave to try & get to my dogs. Good Luck! I have a camera waiting on him now. When, we do go back to court, we have proof that the dogs that we were fined for was not ours.
To anyone that has a bulldog or pit we have a petition that we would like you to sign. Because we are not giving up our dogs. We have rights too!!
A Scranton resident has asked town leaders to consider a ban on pit bulls after several complaints about her neighbor’s dogs, which are kept in a fenced-in area
Ah the dogs people love to hate and want banned.
What,no ban on yellow Labs and mix breed dogs?
South Carolina Info
http://nationalcanineresearchcouncil.com/in-your-state/south-carolina/
Over the past 44 years (1965 - present) there have been 16 fatal dog attacks in South Carolina, , an average of one (1) fatality every three (3) years.
At least five (5) different breeds/types of dogs have been identified in these identified in these incidents. However, a majority of these fatalities were attributed to dogs of no discernable breed, (i.e., very mixed breed dogs).
Learn from the mistakes of others
Italy repeals Ban
http://www.lifeinitaly.com/node/4229
Netherlands repeals Ban
http://asia.news.yahoo.com/080609/ap/d916m6uo2.html
Miami-Dade Ban unenforceable
http://www.prlog.org/10201937-court-rules-miamidade-county-pit-bull-ban-unenforceable.html
Target the RIGHT end of the leash
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